Ricoh Announces PENTAX K-S2 Digital SLR

The newly announced PENTAX K-S2 combines a 20 megapixel AA filterless CMOS sensor with a Prime MII image processing engine within a weather resistant, highly durable and lightweight body. The Retractable Standard Zoom lens is only 1.5-inches in height when fully retracted making it one of the smallest DLSR kits on the market according to Ricoh. In-body shake reduction and the SAFOX X AF system allows for quick and accurate autofocusing. The Clarity Enhancement feature ensures gradual tone changes for realistic texture matching which is auto applied in Advanced HDR mode. Video is captured in 1080p full HD. WiFi and NFC connections are built in to the K-S2. Available in March 2015 for $799.

Check out the full press release below for more information:

Ricoh Imaging Introduces the PENTAX K-S2 Digital SLR Camera – the Ultimate Family Camera Featuring built in Wi-Fi, weather-resistant body and the addition of an all-new retractable standard zoom lens for capturing all of life’s important moments

Denver, Colorado February 9, 2015- Building on our legacy of durable SLR cameras, RICOH IMAGING AMERICAS CORPORATION is pleased to announce the launch of the PENTAX K-S2; featuring a 20 megapixel AA Filter-less CMOS sensor with Prime MII image processing engine. The PENTAX K-S2 offers high image quality and functionality ensuring consistent and compelling results shot to shot. The camera’s weather-resistant body, built-in Wi-Fi and NFC sharing component make it a perfect companion for active families and those who simply enjoy life’s adventures. The standard kit includes the newly designed, ultra-sleek, Retractable Standard Zoom lens that measures less than 1.5 inches in height when retracted, making it one of the smallest DSLR camera kits on the market.

Pentax K-S2

The new PENTAX K-S2 combines a compact, lightweight body with many advanced features including PENTAX’s award winning weather-resistant design, in-body shake reduction, as well as SAFOX X AF system ensuring fast and accurate autofocusing even in challenging situations such as low light, action, and adverse weather conditions. Various viewing angles are achieved with the vari-angle 3.0 inch LCD, 921K dots (RGB+White), and Air Gapless Construction. With the all-new Self Shot Assist users can capture the perfect “selfie”. The K-S2 camera’s vari-angle LCD monitor and 2nd shutter release button assist you in conveniently capturing the best self-shot. Sharing favorite images with friends and family is made easy with built-in Wi-Fi and built-in NFC module. Along with the dedicated app, “Image Sync”, available for no additional cost in the Android and iOS stores you can seamlessly remotely operate the camera, transfer images and share images from your camera to your favorite social networks. Connecting your camera to your smartphone or tablet is made simple with built-in Near Field Communication (NFC); just bring the K-S2 in to close proximity of the target device for pairing.

The Clarity Enhancement feature, introduced with the K-S2, adds more realistic texture impression to your imagery. This technology covers broader and more gradual tone changes of the subject since it was originally developed to reproduce the images that best match the whole screen on a display device. Clarity Enhancement is applied automatically on Advanced HDR and also user-selectable for most still images on the setting menu.

“The PENTAX K-S2 takes the best of all our innovations and combines them into the ultimate family DSLR”, says Jim Malcolm, President of Ricoh Imaging America Corporation. “The K-S2 has everything to capture the active family, including PENTAX legendary quality, compactness, weather resistance, and built in Wi-Fi to easily share with family and friends. We are fulfilling our promise to deliver the highest quality and innovation imaging products.”

The K-S2 will be available in 3 standard colors: black, white, and graphite with an orange accent. RICOH IMAGING is also pleased to announce additional color collections for its new PENTAX K-S2 digital SLR camera. The PENTAX K-S2 offers a choice of seven color options in two outdoor- themed collections: three in the Nature Collection; Forest Green, Desert Beige, and Stone Gray as well as four in the Sports Collection: White and Lime, Black and Pink, White with a Racing Stripe, and Black with a Racing Stripe.

Pentax K-S2

Pricing and Availability

The PENTAX K-S2 kit including a new retractable standard zoom lens will be available in standard colors at retailers nationwide and at www.us.ricoh-imaging.com in March 2015 for a suggested retail price of $799.95. Color collections will be available in April.

*The specifications of camera bodies and lenses are identical to those of standard models.

*Designs and specifications are subject to change without notice.

1. The world’s smallest dustproof, weather-resistant body* The K-S2 camera body is not only designed to be compact and portable, but also dustproof and weather-resistant. One hundred seals have been applied to crucial parts of the body to prevent the intrusion of rain and dust into the interior, making the K-S2 a perfect choice for a wide range of outdoor activities, including mountain climbing, camping and sports events. Included in its lens kits is a super-compact zoom lens, with a length of just 41 millimeters in the stored position despite its weather-resistant construction. The combination of the K-S2 camera body and this lens creates a highly portable digital imaging system. * The world’s smallest model in the dustproof, weather-resistant digital SLR camera category (as of February 1, 2015, based on RICOH IMAGING research)

2. Variable-angle LCD monitor for easy image viewing. The K-S2 comes equipped with an Air Gapless LCD monitor, which has a special resin layer applied between the protective panel and the LCD screen to effectively cut down the reflection and dispersion of light and assure excellent visibility. This monitor also features a variable-angle design for the first time in a PENTAX digital SLR camera, allowing the user to set the monitor to the desired viewing angle and simplify high- and low-angle shootings. By rotating the monitor 180 degrees to face the subject, the user can activate the self-portrait shutter button, which is provided in addition to the regular shutter-release button, to keep a firm hold of the camera when shooting self portraits.

3. High-precision autofocus system with SAFOX X module. The K-S2 features the state-of-the-art SAFOX X AF sensor module, which assures responsive, high-precision autofocus operation. With its 11 sensors including nine cross-type sensors in the middle, this AF system assures pinpoint focus on a subject at a minimum brightness level of as low as –3 EV. Its select-area expansion function ensures that the sensor module keeps tracking a moving subject, even when the subject moves out of a pre-assigned auto-tracking area, by assessing the distance data collected by neighboring focus sensors. Its AF hold function maintains the in-focus position, even when the AF system loses track of the subject after once capturing it in focus. These advanced functions combine to improve the camera's accuracy in the detection of moving subjects.

4. High-resolution images produced by an image sensor with approximately 20.12 effective megapixels and a super-high sensitivity of ISO51200.The K-S2 features a high-performance CMOS image sensor with approximately 20.12 effective megapixels to deliver super-high-resolution images. It is also designed without an optical AA (anti-aliasing) filter to optimize the imaging power of its high-performance image sensor. By coupling this image sensor with the high-performance PRIME MII imaging engine, the K-S2 delivers true-to-life, fine-gradation images by effectively minimizing noise at all sensitivity levels, even during super-high-sensitivity shooting at ISO 51200.

5. In-body shake reduction (SR) mechanism, and anti-aliasing (AA) filter simulator for effective moiré reduction(1) In-body SR mechanism. The K-S2 features a PENTAX-developed SR (Shake Reduction) mechanism to effectively minimize camera shake and assure sharp, blur-free images, even in camera-shake-prone conditions such as when using a telephoto lens, shooting low-light scenes with incident light only, or photographing sunset scenes. (2) Innovative AA (anti-aliasing) filter simulator** By applying microscopic vibrations to the image sensor unit at the sub-pixel level during image exposure, the K-S2’s AA filter simulator provides the same level of moiré-reduction effect as an optical AA filter. Unlike an optical AA filter, which always creates the identical result, this innovative simulator lets you not only switch the AA filter effect on and off, but also adjust the level of the effect, so the user can effortlessly apply the desired effect to a particular scene or subject (3) Supportive shooting functions The K-S2’s SR unit has a flexible design that tilts the image sensor unit in all direction, by shifting it horizontally (left/right) and vertically (up/down), and even rotating it. Taking advantage of this flexibility, the K-S2 provides a host of handy shooting functions, including ASTRO TRACER, which simplifies advanced astronomical photography in combination with the optional O-GPS1 GPS Unit. ** This function is most effective with a shutter speed of 1/1000 second or slower. This function is not available during HDR (High Dynamic Range) shooting.

6. Optical viewfinder with nearly 100-percent field of view. Despite its compact body, the K-S2 is equipped with a glass prism finder featuring the same optics and coatings as those used in higher-level models. With a magnification of approximately 0.95 times, it provides a broad, bright image field for easy focusing and framing.

7. High-speed shutter to capture fast-moving subjects in crisp focus. The K-S2 provides a top shutter speed of 1/6000 second to assure sharply focused images, even with fast-moving subjects. Coupled with its high-speed continuous shooting function with a top speed of approximately 5.5 images per second, it lets the photographer freeze once-in-a-lifetime shutter opportunities in beautifully focused images.

8. Wireless LAN compatibility for easy access to smartphones, for the first time in the PENTAX K series. The K-S2 features wireless LAN (Wi-Fi) functions to provide better access to smartphones and tablet computers. It also provides NFC (Near Field Communication) functions for easy pairing with NFC-compatible smartphones and other communications devices, simply by bringing the K-S2 into proximity with a target device. Also by installing the newly developed, exclusive Image Sync application on a communications device, the user can effortlessly control the K-S2’s aperture, shutter-speed and ISO-sensitivity settings, release its shutter, check the live-view image, and even browse and upload recorded images onto SNS sites such as Facebook remotely.

9. RICOH-original image-processing technologies. The K-S2 features a Clarity Enhancement — a RICOH-developed imaging technology designed to capture the subject’s texture and unevenness more truthfully and produce a more true-to-life depiction of the subject based on the human visual characteristics. Also provided on the mode dial is a new A-HDR (Advanced HDR) position, which combines the Clarity Enhancement with the conventional HDR mode that composites a single, extra-wide-gradation image from three images taken at differing exposures. Thanks to this new mode, the user can capture more dramatic, painting-like HDR images with great ease.

10. An assortment of photo-shooting tools for creative, personalized expressions. The K-S2 provides a choice of 11 Custom Image modes for flexible control of various parameters, as well as nine digital filters. Coupled with 19 distinctive Scene Modes and the hands-off Auto Picture mode, the K-S2 assures simple, quick selection of the desired shooting mode for a given scene or subject.

11. Dual electronic dials. The K-S2 provides a pair of electronic dials: one on top of the grip, and another on the back panel. In the P (Program) mode shooting, for instance, the user can control the aperture and shutter-speed settings independently using these dials, allowing more intuitive camera operation without the need to remove the eye from the viewfinder.

12. Full HD movie recording. Equipped with a built-in stereo microphone, the K-S2 captures beautiful Full HD movie clips (1920 x 1080 pixels; 30/25/24 frame rate) in the H.264 recording format, along with natural, lively stereo sound. It also assures flawless, high-quality movies even with fast-moving subjects. It even provides advanced movie functions, such as a 4K Interval Movie mode that connects still images recorded at a certain interval to create a single movie file, and a Star Stream mode to fade in and out the traces of stars to recorded movies.